Translanguaging Beliefs and Behaviors of Russian-Speaking Parents With Elementary-Age Children

• In Event: Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: Bilingual Education Research: Theory, Policy, and Practice Roundtable

Abstract

This study focused on Russian-speaking families with elementary-age bilingual learners and examined how parents perceived the value of translanguaging and to what extent the parents used translanguaging to support Russian language and literacy development in their children. Surveys responses (n=84) and interviews (n=12) revealed that parents held negative beliefs about code-switching and parallel speech and positive beliefs about para-phrasing. Relationships between these beliefs and parents’ reports of their children's behaviors and proficiency were further explored. Results suggest that para-phrasing could be a particularly promising approach toward translanguaging in instruction. Para-phrasing was support by parents and was associated with higher aural and literacy proficiency in elementary-age bilingual children. Directions for future work are discussed.

Author

• Elena Lyutykh, Concordia University - Chicago